Imdomitable Heart
by qheventer
Summary: Family means everything, and Lifa would stop at nothing to find her brother. But the Empire and the Rebels have other plans, plans that could keep them apart forever. With her new found friends, Lifa embarks on a perilous quest to bring her family back together.
1. Prologue

**Yes, another one, with all my others that are unfinished... tsk tsk, I know. Can't help it.**

 **Any ways, I was kicking this idea around in my head and then came across a picture of a clone trooper with its head replaced by a female doll head, funny yes, I know. And I thought 'oh so that's what she would look like,'**

 **So here you go.**

 **Got people expecting things out of this one so I _have_ to work on it. **

**Thanks Curt.**

 **Disclaimer: please WD don't sue me -cringe-**

* * *

 **Prologue**

There were fires at the Jedi Temple; Liria could see the smoke from her apartment window, rising into the sky over Coruscant. It shocked her at first but then she was filled with and overwhelming sense of urgency to flee. She ran to her room and pulled a pack from her closet and started tossing in clothes. She wanted to get out of Coruscent as quickly as possible; she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong at the Jedi Temple.

The sound of a child's crying flowed through her door.

"Connor, check on Le," Liria called to her ten year old son.

The boy jumped off the sofa where he'd been watching the holotoons. He skipped down the hall to his room where the baby lie in her crib.

"Lifa, what's wrong?" He asked, reaching through the bars and held her tiny hand.

The little girl, not even six months old cried insistently, only holding Connor's fingers out of reflex.

"Hold on, I'll be right back," He pulled away and ran to the kitchen.

On the counter he found clean bottles and grabbed one and filled it with warm water and powdered formula. He rushed back to his crying sister, shaking the bottle on the way. He plucked the nipple in her mouth and she immediately began to suckle.

"Is everything alright?" Liria came in with another pack and started filling it with the children's clothes.

"She was just hungry," He watched his mother. "What's wrong?"

"We're leaving," Liria told him.

"Is Re coming?" Conner switched hands with the bottle so he could turn to watch her.

She stopped what she was doing to look at him. Sadness filled her eyes.

"I don't know," She said quietly, but then continued to pack clothes for her children.

The sudden sound of the door to the apartment swishing open alarmed her. She dropped the pack and rushed out to see who had entered.

"Liria?" The familiar voice called.

She was relieved to hear his voice and when she saw him the world seemed to right itself. She always felt safe in his presence. Like nothing in the galaxy could touch them as long as he was here. He met her half way across the common room, his white and 501st blue striped armor was cover in a thin layer of grim and sported a new scorch mark on his armored bicep. It always left a pit in her stomach to see his armor tagged by an opponent.

"Re, what's happened?" She put a hand on his chest plate.

His hands came up to grip her shoulders. His brow was knitted together with worry and it could be felt through his strong hands gripping a bit too tightly.

"You need to leave Coruscant. Something terrible has happened. I fear it won't be safe here any more," He told her.

"What happened?" She asked him, but he only pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly.

He pressed his head next to hers. He seemed calm but she knew there was a galaxy of turmoil within him. She could always tell when something upset him, even if he never spoke of it. It was in the way he breathed, the way he could look at her, or touch her. He wasn't a very extroverted man so when he did things contrary to his nature she knew things were bad.

"Come with us," She said and pushed back to look at his face.

His eyes rounded with the unexpected request. "Desert the army?"

"Please, Re," She placed both hands on his face. "I-"

She never finished her sentence because the news that had interrupted Connor's holotoons was booming with applause and it drew their attention to it. On the screen was the Supreme Chancellor, cloaked in a dark robe to shadow his face from the senate and the viewers.

" _In order to ensure our security and continue stability, the Republic will be reorganized in the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society!"_

"Mom? Re? What's going on?" Connor stood at the entrance to the hall with an empty bottle in his hands.

"Get your things, we're leaving," Re told the boy.

Liria sighed in relief and turned to switch off the holovision. Connor quickly deposited the sink and ran back to his shared room to finish packing his mom had left in there.

"You should change," Liria told Re.

He nodded and went to her room where she kept civilian clothing for him, for when he'd come visit them. He dressed in a pair of brown cargo pants and a olive drab long sleeve shirt, he sat down to pull on his dark brown boots then stood. He grabbed the empty pack that Liria had left on the bed and placed his armor and under suit in it. When he left the room Connor was standing in the middle of the common room with his pack over one shoulder. He had changed into his favorite pair of pants, similar to Re's, and had on a dark grey jacket over his stormy blue shirt.

Liria was pulling on her boots over her dark brown pants. She clipped her belt in place over her tucked in rust color shirt.

Re went into the children's room and walked over to the crib. He looked down at the baby girl with a light shadow of dark hair on top of her head. She was awake and being very animated with her legs and arms. She made cooing noises along with high pitched squeals that made him smile.

He reached down and picked her up cradled her close to his chest. Her eyes were changing color. He remembered she'd been born with the most amazing blue eyes he'd ever seen in his short existence. Now they were turning brown, the same shade as his eyes.

She ran her hand across his shirt, feeling the fabric with her fingers and made a long whining sound.

"Don't worry little one, I won't let anything happen to you,"

She stared up at him as he talked.

"Daddy is going to take care of you."….


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaime: Owns nothing but the idea of the OCs.**

 **Chapter One**

* * *

"Lifa!" ...

A girl nearly six teen lie on her back in the tall grass staring up at the night sky. Her brown clothing was dirty from a hard day's work in the fields, so grass stains were no concern for her. She had long dark hair that was braided and pulled around to drape over her shoulder. Her honey brown eyes sparkled as she gazed at the stars above.

"Five hundred and ninety six, five hundred and ninety seven, five hundred and ninety eight-"

She was counting the stars. Those far away twinkling lights that had always fascinated her ever since she could remember. She'd always longed to see what they looked like up close, though her mother said that was nearly impossible.

A warm breeze flowed through the grass around her. Summer was having a hard time letting go this year.

"Lifa!" -

She sighed as her name being called had interrupted her and caused her to lose count.

"Until tomorrow," She told the night sky.

She stood up and dusted herself off. The banthas in the pasture looked up from their grazing to track her as she strode by them. The calves were laying on the ground sleeping, their mothers standing over them.

"See you in the morning," She whispered to the herd and jogged towards the lights that illuminated the cabin she shared with her mother.

When she got to the cabin door her mother was standing with her hands on her hips. She had showered after the day's work, something Lifa had failed to do before disappearing, and was now dressed in a soft creamy dress.

"Must I call for you every evening?" She followed her daughter inside the cabin and immediately determined the girl needed to wash. "I think you must have lied in bantha poo."

"I did not!" Lifa exclaimed.

"Oh, well its just you that smells," Llíria grinned.

"Ha ha, very funny," Lifa kicked her boots off and placed them by the door.

"Go wash up, supper is ready," Llíria told her daughter and walked into the kitchen area that held a small eating table.

She took a pot off the small stove and placed it on the table, along with a plate of rolls. Many of the people of Nez Peron didn't eat as well as Llíria and Lifa, and still they didn't eat as good as the ones that received their crops. The Empire demanded so much of their crop yields that it left very little for the citizens. But once Llíria had managed to acquire the banthas things changed.

Llíria may have bought the banthas but the Empire claimed all rights to them. However, sometimes a calf 'went missing,' or 'died from sickness.' The Empire would supply credits for a new bantha, and as long as she didn't get caught Llíria was fine with what she was doing.

During the day she and Lifa worked the fields, just like everyone else. No one had their own crops, it was all done as a community, and had the Empire not been around, it would be divided among the community. Everyone was happy with this system, just the Empire made it difficult. The community had only a few harvester droids but the droids couldn't handle the vastness of the fields by themselves, so the workers needed to harvest along beside the droids.

Then there was the threshing and winnowing to be done with the grains. They didn't have droids for that.

Lifa came out of the refresher with clean clothes on and wet hair.

"What is it you do out there in the dark?" Llíria asked her while spooning bantha stew in a bowl.

"Nothing, just looking at the stars," Lifa sat down and took the bowl.

Llíria sat down and started spooning stew in her own bowl. "There's a meeting tonight with some of the farmers,"

"Sounds exciting," Lifa fiend excitement.

"There's talk of rebellion," Llíria pulled her roll apart and dipped it into the stew. "I'm going to see what it's all about."

Lifa swallowed a piece of meat. "I'm sure they're all fed up with the way things are."

"Do you want to come?" Llíria watched her daughter eat like she hadn't eaten in three seasons.

"Sure," Lifa never looked up from her bowl.

...

The meeting was being held at one of the farmer's cabins. Borit, Lifa thought was his name. He was an older man, tall with a gray and black beard and gray and black hair pulled back and tied with a piece of bantha leather string. Her mother greeted and older woman, Jaleah. The woman had helped Llíria with Lifa when she was younger.

"Lifa!"

Lifa turned to see a girl her age with blonde hair and blue eyes bounding up to her. She grabbed Lifa in a tight hug but Lifa stood stiff.

"Hi, Kimi," Lifa said tensely.

The girl let go when Lifa didn't return the hug but she beamed up at Lifa, who was immensely taller than Kimi. Lifa was taller than most people, even her own mother. Llíria had told her that her father had been tall and they shared many characteristics.

"Isn't this exciting?" Kimi smiled brightly.

"What?" Lifa looked back at her mother in hopes that she'd see her and call her over.

No such luck, Llíria was talking to someone and had her back to Lifa.

"The rebellion!" Kimi squeaked.

"Ah, yes. Exciting. Can't wait," Lifa tried to sound enthusiastic.

"Lifa, you're so funny," Kimi chuckled.

Their attention was drawn to Borit when he began to speak.

"Welcome everyone. Now that we're all here its time to discuss the issue at hand. The Empire thinks they can just swoop in and take everything from us. Our food, then our children, and the continuing demand for our crops. Leaving very little for us to survive. If it were not for Llíria and her banthas I think most of us would have starved to death by now,"

The people nodded in agreement and looked at Lifa's mother.

Borit crossed his arms. "I think I speak for everyone when I say enough is enough. It's time the Empire learned they can just take everything from us. So when the transporters come tomorrow we will not be putting our crop yields or any of our goods on the ships. Because I am tired of watching the people in our community starve. And I'm tired of the Empire bullying us into submission!"

Everyone nodded and there were a few 'yeah's.

His voice rose and he held a fist up. "We can't keep letting them push us around!"

The crowd shouted in agreement.

"It's our crops, our livestock. We are the ones breaking our backs bringing in the harvests every season and what do we have to show for it? Starving families!"

They cheered and clapped their hands. Lifa stood shocked. There had always been talk about rebellion ever since she remembered, but now they were actually going to do it!

We've talked to the other communities. They all agree that none of the goods are to be shipped to the Empire,"Borit continued. "They will no longer have reign over u-"

"We've heard this all before! No one ever actually follows through," said a thin balding man.

"We will this time, brother! Jahren Sinn was elected to speak on the behalf of all the farming communities," Borit said. "He will be our salvation!"

...

Llíria and Lifa walked back home after the meeting. Lifa was still trying to grasp everything that had happened, and was going to happen. She knew that the Empire would send soldiers as soon as they didn't get their shipment. She wondered if chaos would ensue when the day came and stormtroopers marched into their quiet community. It made her think back when she was young and they had come, but there was nothing to give.

That horrible day when her brother was taken and her father was slain. Her mother didn't know Lifa remembered it. She was only three when it happened. It wasn't a clear memory but she remembered her mother crying, the troopers carrying her brother off, and her father's lifeless body. Lying on the cold ground and being covered by someone with a blanket.

She couldn't remember their faces.

"Lifa, are you ok?" Her ever insightful mother placed a hand on her arm.

"Tell me about dad," She looked at her mother's face, shadowed in the darkness.

"He was a good man. He loved us very much," Llíria said.

"But who was he?" Lifa begged.

Llíria walked silently, Lifa thought she wasn't going to say anything more but was surprised when her mother continued.

"He was a soldier. He left the army when we could no longer stay on Coruscant to come with us. And believe me, for him to have done that was a big deal. All he knew was to be a soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic, it was everything to him. Leaving meant leaving his brothers behind and everything he ever knew.

But he left, even though it meant he'd likely be killed if he was ever caught, because he loved us."

She paused for a moment.

"You look just like him. A bit leaner, but tall, dark hair, same color eyes, your skin is a bit lighter but that's my fault," Llíria grinned. "You even act like him. He was quiet, like you. He kept to himself, he didn't let things bother him, and if they did you probably wouldn't know it. He wasn't an overly emotion type of person. Smiling wasn't something he did... kinda like you,"

It was true. Lifa couldn't count how many times the locals would tell her to smile. It just seemed pointless to smile all the time.

"He was a good father to your brother. Connor worshipped him. He always tried to do everything like your father. He-" Llíria's voice broke, Lifa grabbed her mother's hand.

"One day we'll find him," said confidently. "he is going to come back."

Her mother smiled fondly at her. "I don't know how possible that is."

"I'll find him, some how," Lifa looked ahead of them and led her mother home.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I has three dollars... My OCs hate me.**

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

None of the communities put their crops or goods on the transport ship. And when the ships left there was a tension in the air. People grew nervous because they knew there would be consequences for this. The crops were divided among the people evenly. But there was hesitation in actually using was being stored.

The fields were being prepared for their fall and winter crops and the usual buzz of chit chat in the fields were gone. Some even voiced that it was a bad idea to not send their yields to the Empire.

Lifa led a bantha from one of the fields she'd been helping plow. A plow had been hitched to the animal and it had pulled it tirelessly across the ground, churning the dirt up so someone else could make nice rows behind them. She took the animal to the barn and began taking the harness off and grooming it to make sure the dirt was worked out of it's hair. As she worked on the bantha's hair she wondered when the Empire would come ask why they'd not received their crop yields.

She figured they would have been here by now. Or maybe making them wait this long, stewing in their own anxiety was part of the punishment.

"All done for the day?" Her mother's voice carried through the barn.

"Yeah," Lifa gave the bantha some hay and closed the stall door behind her, bantha's that worked got fed extra and had to eat in the barn.

She met her mother outside tending to flowering weeds. They were weeds but the flowers were nice to look at. They were white with yellow centers.

"I'm beginning to think the Empire isn't coming," Her mother said hopefully.

"Hm... I think they're just letting all this tension eat at us," Lifa plucked a flower off a stem.

"That's a possibility," Her mother stood up and wiped her hands on her pants.

Lifa looked up at the cloudy sky, it had been threatening for days to rain but they'd yet to see a drop. Everyone knew that after the rain the cold weather would be here.

"What's for dinner?" She asked her mom.

"Same as last night, dear," Her mother smiled.

"Yay," Lifa said sarcastically.

Her mother had finally broke down and used some of the potatoes that had been given to her. The community had traded with one of the neighboring communities and they all got potatoes for their grain. Llíria had made blue bantha butter to put on the baked potatoes, and so they ate baked potatoes with their bantha roast.

"I haven't had a potato in years," Llíria said.

"Have I ever had one?"Lifa poked at it.

"No. Stop poking it and just eat it," Llíria laughed.

Before Lifa could put the bite of potato in her mouth they heard shouting outside. They rushed to the door and went out. Someone was running down the road yelling.

"They're here! They're here!" He shouted, no one needed explanation as to who 'they' were.

Just then a shuttle flew over the village, then another. They landed just outside the village and the fifty stormtroopers disembarked the ships. They marched in unison down the dirt road through the village. Everyone came out of their cabins to see, some came and stood at the edge of the road. A commanding officer led the troopers to the village square and there they stopped.

"On behalf of Lord Vader, I would like to congratulate you on a job well done. You managed to succeed in getting your speaker killed in this little rebellion you all have orchestrated, though I do say you executed quite poorly," He spoke. "Now, to redeem yourselves have all your stock packed and ready to go. You have two hours to have everything ready. I suggest you get started, more transports will be here shortly."

Borit stepped up in front of the crowd that had grown. "No,"

"What?" The commander tilted his head.

"We will not just hand over our supplies," Borit told him.

"Fine, then we'll just take them then," The commander told him.

He waved his hand and Lifa watched as the stormtroopers marched forward. People began shouting and when the stormtroopers got close to the people the shoved them back fought them to the ground. Other stormtroopers went to the houses and barged in, there were screams and commotion from within the cabins.

"Is there a Llíria Oslund here? Llíria Oslund?" The commander looked around then spotted Lifa and her mother. "You! Seize her!"

The stormtroopers started towards them and Llíria pulled Lifa back into the house. She ran to her room and Lifa followed her to the chest at the end of Llíria's bed. Her mother opened the chest and inside Lifa saw white armor, but it wasn't the same armor the stormtroopers wore. Llíria dug through the pieces until she pulled out what she was looking for and shut the trunk. It was a blaster.

"Mom!" Lifa's eyes grew wide at the sight of the blaster.

"They know about the banthas!" Llíria said. "Lifa get down."

The door to their cabin was kicked in and the soldiers came through. Lifa dropped down behind her mother's bed. Llíria wasted no time, she fired the blaster at them.

"Drop the weapon!" One of the troopers shouted.

They opened fire on her after she got a hit on one of them. Llíria fell to the floor, the blaster tumbled from her hand. The smell of burning flesh filled Lifa's nose.

"NO!" She shouted and crawled over to her mother. "Mom!"

"Hands where we can see them!" The trooper shouted at Lifa.

"Mom!" Lifa cried and put a hand on her mother's still face.

There was commotion outside, yelling and blaster fire. The troopers grabbed Lifa and wrenched her from her dead mother and pulled her tossed her unceremoniously on the ground with a few others that had been sat down in the dirt. Borit lay dead in front of her, his eyes and mouth wide open. Lifa squeezed her eyes shut to keep from seeing him but she then saw her mother laying dead on the floor.

"Right, now that little bit is over. You now have less than an hour to bring your supplies to the square,"The commander told them.

A freighter transport flew over them and landed near the shuttles.

"Let's get to it," The commander told the citizens.

They shuffled off, all except the ones that had been forced to sit on the ground. Lifa stared at the ground between her legs.

"You," The commander nudged her boot with his.

She looked up at him. Anger and hatred swelled in her chest at the sight of his pale face and white uniform. She contained it though.

"You were Llíria Oslund's daughter?" He asked her.

"Yes," She said with a neutral tone.

"Hm..." He folded his hands behind his back and looked at the stormtrooper standing by her. "She's dead then"

"Yes, sir. She had a weapon and fired on us," The trooper told him.

The commander nodded his head then looked down at Lifa. "Burn the cabin, the barn, everything." He crouched down in front of her. "On some worlds people are killed for stealing. You and your mother stole from the Empire. I'm not going to kill you though, but you will regret having done what you did." He stood up and looked down at her. "Make an example out of her. Show the others what happens when you steal."

"Yes, sir," The stormtrooper said.

The others were made to stand and moved out of the way. Lifa was dragged to the middle of the square and once there a trooper struck her in the stomach with the butt of his rifle. She fell to her knees crying out in pain and clutching her stomach. The next thing she felt a sharp pain run through her entire body and her muscles spasmed and her body contorted. The shock was over for a few seconds but before she could even catch her breath they shocked her again.

She clenched her jaw and her nails bit into the palm of her hands. She couldn't think. She only knew that this was the most painful thing she'd ever physically experienced. When it stopped she felt ill and her whole body ached and burned. The sun had sunk beyond the hills and the cloudy sky left everything in a grayish blue hue, all except for her and her mother's burning barn and cabin.

She lay curled in the dirt, tears sprung from her eyes as she watched the flames grow ever higher and higher. She could hear the bantha in the barn whaling as the fire had likely caught in its long shaggy hair. The stormtroopers had loaded the freighters with the supplies and were now marching onto the shuttles.

Kimi knelt by Lifa and reached out to her. But Lifa pushed up onto her hands and knees and pushed her away. She managed to get to her feet and then staggered towards the burning barn. She jogged with a drunken stagger towards the crying bantha.

"Lifa, no!" Someone shouted.

But she had to save the bantha. Here is was, she was tortured, her mother killed, their homes destroyed all because of the banthas, and the troopers had left this one in the barn after setting it on fire! She walked through the door way, and covered her mouth with the collar of her shirt. The bantha, stupid and docile didn't have the sense to bust through the stall. Part of the roof near the end of the barn collapse and pieces of lumber fell down around Lifa.

She coughed from inhaling the smoke, she was relieved to see the bantha fire free. She unlatched the stall door and grabbed a handful of its hair and pulled it to lead it out of the barn. Once out she let it go and it stomped off to the nearest patch of grass and began to eat, its prior predicament already forgotten.

She then jogged sluggishly to the cabin, but there was no going in. It as completely consumed by the fire. Instead she just turned around and made her way out into the pasture, half way to the herd she collapsed in the grass. She rolled on her back and looked up at the sky, still shrouded in clouds.

The light fading quickly now. Thunder rumbled and the first rain drops fell. She didn't move as the rain started coming down more quickly, she just lied there and let the rain wash away the tears and the thunder drown out her cries.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Still owns nothing... the OCs don't even want me.**

 **Chapter Three**

* * *

Alone.

She'd never been alone before in her life. Now she had no one.

Lost.

Everything she had was lost to her. Her mother, her brother, her father, her home...

Lifa stood up, she'd taken shelter in the banthas' run-in shed during the night. It smelled terrible but at least she was dry. She dusted her pants off and slowly made her way through the wet grass back to the burned cabin. The rain had subdued the fire but there was very little of it left. The barn was gone, reduced to ash and rubble.

The debris was still smoldering but she could walk in now. The whole side of the house nearest the door was gone, the common room, the kitchen, the refresher, and part of her room. Her mother's room on the far side of the cabin was still intact. Which meant her mother's body was still in there. Lifa took a deep breath and stepped into the room.

She looked at her mother's still form on the floor. She pressed her lips together and her brow drew together. She knew what she should do but she couldn't move. Her legs felt like they were made of stone. The crunching sound of someone walking through the debris startled her and she turned to see Kimi and her father coming in.

Kimi looked as if she'd been crying. Life wondered why the girl should be crying, she wasn't the one that just lost her home and her mother. _Stupid girl._

"Lifa?" Kimi's father said softly.

He was a kind man, shorter than Lifa, but still strong.

"Mr. Ealon," She nodded at him.

"Come on, you shouldn't be in here. We'll take care of your mother," He put his hands on her shoulders to steer her out.

Lifa pulled away from him. "Please, just go."

"Lifa,"Kimi stepped up.

"No!" Lifa backed up. "Leave me alone, please!"

Mr. Ealon pursed his lips and nodded. He steered his daughter out of the burned house and Lifa sat on the bed once they were gone. She looked down at the floor then to her mother's feet, the only visible part of her from the angle Lifa sat. She stood suddenly and grabbed the blanket off the bed and draped it over her mother. She crouched down to tuck the blanket around her mom and when she stood up she saw the trunk.

Walking around her mother's body she opened the trunk. Still there was the armor. White with blue stripes. A helmet unlike the stormtroopers, this one was less scary, looking less like a skull and more like a proper tool for protection rather than intimidation. She picked it up and stared into the black visor, her reflection contorted.

She pulled out the pieces and set them on the bed. She found a black two piece tight suit and she reckoned was to be worn under the armor. On the chest of the top was a large symbol, it looked similar to the Galactic Empire insignia but it was different. These were her father's things, no doubt, her mother had said he was a soldier. A soldier of-

"The Grand Army of the Republic," Lifa said quietly.

She looked down at the helmet on the bed.

 _You're not alone._ It seemed to say.

"I'm going crazy," She said as she started taking off her dirty clothes and pulling on the black pants and then pulling the shirt.

It was a little loose but not bad, she had a feeling it would stretch out further if she didn't have the muscle and body mass of a teenage girl. But it felt good, it felt right. She slipped the bicep armor into place, the elbow and forearm armor pieces. It was all a little too big but it was like the armor had been waiting for her to put it on, so she kept going. Next she put the chest and back armor on and clicked it together. She was able to get every piece on without a problem, it was common sense where everything should go.

And the last piece, the helmet. She put it on slowly, not know what to expect. When nothing happened and was met with total darkness she pulled it back off. She turned it and looked into the visor. Then she turned it over to look inside the helmet and saw the power relay button.

She pressed it and the inside lit up. She put it on and saw it was running diagnostics. The visor was lit with a soft blue light that didn't hurt her eyes. Soon directions scrolled across the screen in Aubresh.

 _Please straight and look straight ahead to calibrate eye tracking._

 _..._

 _Calibration complete._

 _Welcome CT-4382_

 _..._

Lifa looked around the room. There was a flashing icon on the visor and when she looked at it and blinked a tab opened and showed the structural damage to the house and percentages of collapse, fire ignition, and whether or not anything was salvageable. She looked at the 'x' on the tab and blinked and it closed. When she looked down at her mother the visor scanned the body then read ' _deceased.'_ Lifa took the helmet off and it powered down. She looked at the remains of her mother then set the helmet on the bed and began taking the armor off.

When she was done she started packing in one of her mother's large bags. The only things left in the trunk were some of her father's clothes. A pair of brown cargo pants and a dark blue shirt, almost the same blue as what was painted on the armor. She pulled them on over the black body suit. Then pulled her boots on. The pants sagged a bit on her hips and she had to tighten her belt up to keep them on. The shirt was okay though, she had wide shoulders, not like her mom who had been petite.

She walked over to her mother's head and got down on her knees and stroked her mother's hair into place.

"I'm going to find him mom, I promise. But we're not coming back to the place. I love you," She kissed her mother's cool forehead then stood.

She grabbed her dirty clothes and stuffed them in the pack with the armor, she could wash them later. She stepped out of the room and through the rubble of the house then started making her way down the main dirt street in the village. A few people milling about watched her walk by.

"Where are you going?" One asked.

She didn't answer, just kept walking and they stared after her.

The closest port was fifteen miles away, but it didn't matter. She was leaving this planet if it was the last thing she did. She had to find Connor, he was all that she had left in the galaxy. If she found him then everything would be okay. She could have a family again and nothing would separate them again.

The thought of finding Connor kept her going and soon she found she was in the small town with the space port. Securing a ride out of here was her next task, the first had been to get there. She'd never had to do this before, had never even flown or been into space. So she walked around the dirt road of the town until she found what she thought might help.

It was a middle aged dark skinned woman and a tall lean man walking together behind a droid pushing a crate on a hover pallet. She jogged up behind them to catch up.

"Excuse me!" She called out when she got closer. "Sir, ma'am?"

The two turned around, they didn't look particularly friendly but they would just have to do.

"Us?" the man pointed to himself and the woman.

Lifa stopped in front of them and nodded. "Yes, you two. Do you have a ship?"

"Blunt and to the point," The man looked at the woman and she just gave him a side long look. "And if we do?"

"I'd like a ride off this rock," She told him.

"We don't just give out free rides, kid," He told her.

"Well, I don't- I can't pay," She told him.

"Well then, no ride, bye" He turned around to continue walking but the woman grabbed him.

"Les, really? We've take on jobs for less," She told him.

"We are not taking on another mouth to feed," He got close to her face but she just rolled her eyes and turned back to Lifa.

"What's your name?" She asked Lifa.

"NO, no, don't go ask'in names!" He exclaimed. "We don't need to know her name because she's not getting on my ship!"

That earned him a glare.

"Our ship?" He said a bit more politely.

"Lifa," Lifa told her.

"Hi, Lifa. My name is Corie," The woman held out her hand. "And this is Les. Don't mind him. He likes to think he's the captain of my ship."

The man, Les growled and mumbled. "My ship."

"Where did you have in mind to go?" Corie asked Lifa.

"I'm not sure. I need to find someone, I don't know where to look though," Lifa looked at them both.

"Who is it?" Les asked and started walking again, Corie fell into step beside Lifa.

"My brother. He was taken when I was three, by the Imperial Army," She told them.

"Oh, no, I'm not gettting caught up in none of that! Find another ship!" Les said.

"Les!" Corie smacked him in the back of the head.

"OW!" He rubbed his head.

"We'll help you find a place to go," Corie told her.

"Thank you," Lifa said.

Les growled again. "IF my ship gets shot up, you're buying me another ship."

"You mean you're buying me another ship," Corie grinned.

Yes, they would do just fine. Lifa had a feeling that things were going to be okay from here on out. Now she just had to figure out where she needed to go.

"What the heck is that smell?" Les wrinkled his nose. "Smells like bantha poodoo."

"I should probably take a shower when we get on board," Lifa said.

"Oh, no! You'lll take one _before_ you board my ship," Les said.

"You keep say ' _my ship'_ like you own it," Corie teased.

"Because I do!" Les raised his hands in exclamation.

"As I recall, I paid to get it out of the impound," Corie said in mock seriousness.

They continued walking, and even with the death of her mother so near, Lifa felt a weight lift from her chest listening to the two bicker about who owned the ship they were walking to. Yes, things could only get better from here.


End file.
